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In a news release from Transportation for Washington, Mayor Mike McGinn credits the city’s pedestrian master plan and Complete Streets ordinance, which requires new roads be designed with bicyclists and pedestrians in mind. The city’s Bridging the Gap levy has helped pay for a number of improvements since it was passed in 2006. At the state level, the Legislature this year passed a “Vulnerable User’s” bill, which boosts penalties for negligent drivers who kill or maim bicyclists, pedestrians and other “vulnerable roadway users.”

Still, the report notes that 398 pedestrians were killed from 2000 to 2009 in Seattle’s Metro area.

While traffic deaths have dropped nationally by 27 percent over the last decade, pedestrian deaths have been reduced by less than half that. “Despite the magnitude of these avoidable tragedies, little public attention – and even less in public resources – has been committed to reducing pedestrian deaths and injuries in the United States,” according to the report. “On the contrary, transportation agencies typically prioritize speeding traffic over the safety of people on foot or other vulnerable road users.”

While cities like Seattle have worked to redesign streets to better accommodate pedestrians, many cities have not, according to the report.

“Still, most Americans continue to live in places where walking is risky business for their health and safety, where roads are designed solely to move traffic and where pedestrians are viewed as an obstacle,” the report says.

The report calls on Congress to continue funding in the next transportation bill for the Transportation Enhancements and the Safe Routes to School grant programs for bike and pedestrian facilities. Both programs face being cut. It also calls on the federal government to adopt national Complete Streets programs and to focus on reducing pedestrian cyclists deaths, like has been done with overall traffic collisions.

African-Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately represented in pedestrian fatalities. In Washington from 2000 to 2007, 1.1 non-Hispanic whites died per 100,000 people. Hispanics suffered an average pedestrian fatality rate of 2.32 and African-Americans a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 persons. 65 Hispanics, 31 African-Americans, 41 Asian and 450 non-Hispanic white persons were killed in this period.160 pedestrians in Washington aged 65 years or older were killed from 2000-2007. Older pedestrians died at a rate of 2.9 per 100,000 residents in Washington, compared to 1.1 per

100,000 for residents under age 65, ranking 17th nationally for fatality rate for pedestrians over the age of 65.Pedestrian injury is the third leading cause of death by unintentional injury for children 15 and younger, according to CDC mortality data. 62 children 15 years and younger were killed while walking in Washington from 2000 to 2007.

Pedestrian injury is the third leading cause of death by unintentional injury for children 15 and younger, according to CDC mortality data. 62 children 15 years and younger were killed while walking in Washington from 2000 to 2007.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.